Wild Justice (22 page)

59 They waited in the kitchen for the ambulance and the patrol cars that were coming in response to Amanda s 911 call. While Tony watched Cardoni, Amanda phoned homicide. Sean McCarthy arrived soon after the ambulance and the first patrol car. While the medics were loading Cardoni onto a stretcher, McCarthy took the couple into the den where Amanda had watched the videotape of Mary Sandowski s torture four years before. The TV and VCR were still there. Amanda could not bring herself to look at them. McCarthy could see that Amanda and Tony were emotionally drained and made arrangements to talk to them at the Justice Center. Amanda s father arrived soon after the police. Frank insisted that Amanda spend the night in her old room. He also offered to put up Tony for the night. Amanda was in bed by three. For the first time since she was a little girl, she kept a light on. The horror of what she had seen and her guilt at suspecting Justine tormented her every time she shut her eyes. When she did drift into sleep she found herself in a pitch-black room. She tried to sit up, but her body was secured by leather restraints. As she struggled to get loose a door opened, admitting a bright, blinding light. When her eyes adjusted, Amanda saw that she was strapped to an operating table. Who s there? she called, her heart beating faster. A bare lightbulb dangled from the ceiling over Amanda s head. A face covered by a surgical mask suddenly moved between Amanda and the light. A cap covered the doctor s head. In one of his hands was a shiny scalpel, in the other a coffee mug. I see our patient is awake, the surgeon said. Then the mug slipped from the doctor s fingers and fell in slow motion, spilling its contents. Blood, not coffee, flew through space. The mug smashed against the concrete floor and exploded into ceramic shards. Amanda lurched up in bed, her heart pounding. It took her half an hour to fall asleep again. Amanda was up by seven-thirty, feeling ragged and bleary-eyed but unable to get back to sleep. Through the front windows she saw a crowd of reporters massing near the curb. Frank had taken the phone off the hook and asked McCarthy to send an officer to keep the mob off his lawn. Tony was very subdued when he came downstairs. No one had much of an appetite. Frank had put up a pot of coffee, and the couple carried their mugs onto the back porch where the reporters could not see them. The shade trees in the backyard were denuded of leaves, and the gray weather had bleached the color out of the grass and hedges. It was cold and blustery, but it was not raining. Couldn t sleep? Tony asked. Amanda shook her head. Me either. They were quiet for a moment. Whenever I closed my eyes I saw myself shooting Cardoni. Tony shook his head as if to clear it of the image. I don t know why I feel bad. I mean, the guy was a monster and I stopped him. I should feel great, but I don t. Amanda laid a hand on his arm. That s only natural, Tony. Cops who shoot criminals in the line of duty feel guilty even when they know they ve done the right thing. Tony stared straight ahead, nodding bravely. He would have killed again. Amanda put her hand over his. Think of the lives you ve saved. Tony looked away. Amanda grabbed him by the chin and forced him to look at her. You re a hero, do you know that? Not everyone would have gone into Justine s house knowing that Cardoni might be inside. Amanda, I Amanda put her finger on his lips. She kissed him, then laid her head on Tony s chest. Amanda, you don t still think that Justine killed all those people, do you? No. I feel terrible for suspecting her. Amanda remembered what Cardoni had done to Justine. She fought back tears. After a moment, she took a deep breath and pulled away from Tony. We should get ready, she said, wiping her eyes. We have to go downtown and talk to Sean McCarthy. McCarthy had instructed Frank to park under the Justice Center in the police garage so they could avoid the media. As soon as they arrived at the homicide bureau, Alex DeVore escorted Tony into one interrogation room and McCarthy escorted Amanda into another. McCarthy was kind and his questions were gentle. Three-quarters of an hour after he started, the detective told Amanda that he was done. As he opened the door for her, Mike Greene stepped into the room. Can we have a minute? Greene asked. Sure, I m done. Thanks, Amanda, he said closing the door behind him. Am I going to need an attorney? Amanda asked with a weary smile. Yeah, I d get the Dream Team on this, right away. He smiled. How you doin ? I m okay. You have no idea how horrible I felt when Sean told me what Cardoni did to Justine Castle. Why should you feel responsible? I m the one who decided that we didn t have enough evidence to hold that lunatic. Amanda s weary eyes softened. You didn t have a choice. You d have been breaking the law if you d done anything different. The worst part is that we had enough evidence to arrest Cardoni. We just couldn t find the son of a bitch. Mike told her about the cell phone bill that proved that Cardoni had phoned in the 911 and called Justine s house on the evening of Justine s arrest. We were also following up on an idea Sean had four years ago but stopped pursuing after Cardoni disappeared. You know that Cardoni practiced at a hospital in Denver before he came to Portland? Amanda nodded. I just heard from the Colorado state police this morning. Two years ago they uncovered a killing ground similar to ours in a rural area about an hour outside of Denver. The bodies had been buried for some time. A Colorado lawyer, who has since been disbarred, purchased the property where the graves were found. He was contacted by an anonymous buyer through the mail and paid in cashier s checks. Cardoni s MO. Mike nodded. I might have some extra ammo to use against Cardoni, Amanda said. You know that Bobby Vasquez is working for me, right? Sean mentioned it. He gave me gave me a preliminary list of serial murders that might have the same MO as Cardoni s killings. I ll get it to you in case he found something that your investigators missed. Great, he answered distractedly. Listen, about Bobby . . . Have you gotten an update on his condition? It s not good. The doctors don t know if he s going to make it. Amanda s shoulders slumped. What about Cardoni? Mike looked grim. The bastard s doing fine. That s the bad news. The good news is that he ll be fit for trial soon, so I ll be able to send him to death row. I trust you won t be representing him this time. Amanda forced a smile and shook her head. Am I done here? I d love to get home and take a long, hot bath. You re done, Mike said, holding her chair for her as she stood. Then he took her hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. If there s anything I can do, let me know, Greene said quietly with a warmth that surprised her. She looked at the DA quizzically, and he blushed. I enjoy butting heads with you, he said, so take care of yourself.

60 Even with Cardoni locked in the secure wing at St. Francis, Amanda was afraid to stay by herself. But she turned Tony down when he invited her to stay at his house. Amanda never ran from something that scared her, and she wasn t going to start now. That night, alone in her apartment, Amanda watched an old movie until her eyes grew heavy, then went to bed around one. She dreamed again about the operating room, the masked surgeon and the coffee mug filled with blood. When the mug slipped from the surgeon s fingers, a wave of blood arced through the air. Amanda jerked up in bed when the mug shattered. It was the second time she d had that dream, and both times she had woken feeling at loose ends. No reporters were lurking outside the offices of Jaffe, Katz, Lehane and Brindisi when Amanda arrived at eight the next morning. She had been putting off work on her other cases while she concentrated on Justine Castle. Before she could get to them she had to put Justine s files in order. It was while she was performing this chore that Amanda spotted Bobby Vasquez s list of possible killing grounds. She remembered her promise to send it to Mike Greene. As she scanned the list her eye lit on the Ghost Lake, Oregon, entry. Something about Ghost Lake tickled her memory again, but she was interrupted before she could give it much thought. There s a call for you on line three, the receptionist told her. Who is it? He says he s Vincent Cardoni, the receptionist answered nervously. He asked for Mr. Jaffe. When I told him he was out of town, he insisted on speaking to you. Amanda hesitated. It would be easy to have the receptionist tell Cardoni that she would not take the call, but her curiosity got the better of her. Why are you calling this firm, Dr. Cardoni? Amanda demanded as soon as she picked up the receiver. Roy Bishop is your attorney. Bishop has no credibility with the district attorney or the police. That may be, but we are no longer your lawyers. I paid your father a lot of money to represent me. He s still under retainer. You can discuss that with him when he comes back to Portland at the end of the week. As far as I m concerned, our professional relationship ended when you murdered my client. But I didn t. Please come to St. Francis. I have to talk to you. You must be insane to think that I would come anywhere near you after what you did to Justine. You have to come. Cardoni s voice was raw and needy. The last time I agreed to meet with you, it didn t turn out so well. I think I ll pass. This is more important than you know, Cardoni pleaded. You re in danger, and you re the only person who knows enough to understand. Amanda hesitated. She had no interest in meeting Cardoni. The idea of being in the same room with him scared the hell out of her. But he sounded so disturbed and unsure of himself. Listen carefully, Dr. Cardoni. You think we still have an attorney-client relationship, but we don t. If you say anything incriminating, I ll walk straight from your hospital room to police headquarters and tell them every word you told me. I ll take that chance. Amanda was surprised by the response. Let me make myself clear, Doctor. I would like nothing better than to be the one who gives you your lethal injection. I said I ll take that chance. Amanda thought for a moment. She could hear Cardoni s ragged breathing on the other end of the line. I will talk to you on one condition. I am going to bring a release with me. Once you sign it, the attorney-client privilege will no longer apply and I ll be free to tell the police anything you tell me. I ll also be free to testify against you in court. Will you sign the release? Yes, I will. A massive steel door separated the secured ward at St. Francis from a small entry area opposite the elevator. An orderly manned a desk in front of the door. He inspected Amanda s ID and briefcase, then pressed a button. Another orderly studied Amanda through a window made of bulletproof glass that was centered in the top half of the door. When he was satisfied, he let Amanda into the ward, relocked the door and escorted her to Cardoni s room. A policeman was sitting outside. He stood up when he heard footsteps tapping down the narrow hallway. Amanda handed her bar card and driver s license to the policeman. I m Dr. Cardoni s attorney. Can you please open your briefcase? Amanda complied, and he thumbed through her paperwork and inspected all of the compartments. You ll have to leave the briefcase out here. You can bring in your papers and a pen, but don t give the pen to Dr. Cardoni. I have a paper he has to sign. Okay. I ll come in with you. He can sign in my presence. Cardoni was dressed in a hospital gown and propped up on a hospital bed with his head slightly elevated. His arms were lying on top of his blanket, and Amanda saw the jagged scar that circled the surgeon s arm just above his right wrist. Cardoni s eyes followed Amanda as she crossed the room. She moved a chair near the bed but was careful to stay far enough away so he could not reach her. The policeman positioned himself at the end of the bed. Cardoni glanced at him. You don t need a bodyguard, he said quietly. I m not going to hurt you. Cardoni looked tired and subdued. The bravado she had so often noticed was not present. The policeman will leave as soon as you sign the release. Cardoni held out his hand, and Amanda gave him the document and a pen. He read it quickly, signed and returned the pen. I ll be watching through the window, the officer assured Amanda before leaving the room. Amanda sat stiffly, feeling very uncomfortable in the doctor s presence. Thank you for coming, Cardoni said as soon as the lock clicked into place. What did you want to tell me? Cardoni closed his eyes and rested for a moment. He seemed weak and exhausted. I was wrong about Justine. Clever move, Doctor. Who are you going to blame for your crimes now? I know I m fighting an uphill battle trying to convince you that I m innocent, but please hear me out. Four years ago, after Justine buried me at my bail hearing, I was certain that she had framed me. And after I did this, Cardoni said, pointing at his scarred wrist, all I could think about was revenge for my hand, the time I d spent in jail and the destruction of the life I d built. I wanted her to suffer the way I was suffering. Cardoni held his wrist out. Do you have any idea what it s like to saw off your own hand, to lose a part of yourself? Can you imagine what it would be like for a surgeon whose life is his hands? And the new hand. Cardoni laughed bitterly. Picking up a glass was like climbing Everest. Holding a pen, writing; my God, the hours I spent trying to master that simple task. He paused and rubbed his eyes. And, of course, there were the victims. I believed that Justine would continue to kill and that no one would try to stop her because everyone thought that I was guilty. I returned to Portland and took a job at St. Francis so I could keep an eye on Justine. I was certain that she had a new killing ground. It took me almost a year to find it. I spent hours looking at records, visiting properties that fit the profile, talking to attorneys until I discovered Mary Ann Jager on the Thursday before Justine was arrested. That night I went to the farm and found that poor bastard in the basement. He was already dead. Cardoni closed his eyes again and took a deep, rasping breath before continuing. He looked as though he were trying to banish a bad dream. I went back to the hospital and took the coffee mug. I already had a surgical cap with some of Justine s hair and a scalpel with her prints. I d been saving them. After planting everything at the farmhouse, I parked down the street from Justine s house and phoned her from my cell phone. She left and I followed. When I saw her make the turn from the highway onto the road that led to the farm, I called in the nine-one-one. I hoped that the police would find her at the farm. If she got away before they arrived, her prints would be on the items I left and everything she touched when she was there. An anonymous tip would lead the police to her. Cardoni paused again. He looked depressed. When I found the victim in the basement, I studied him so I could write a journal entry detailing what I was certain she had done to him. I learned the writing style when I read the journal in the farmhouse bedroom. As soon as I was sure that Justine was going to the farm, I wrote the journal entry on the computer in her house and left a copy. Cardoni rubbed his eyes and sighed. I was so certain that I was doing the right thing. I was so certain that Justine had framed me and killed all of those people. Seeing that man in the basement . . . I was so certain . . . Cardoni s voice trailed off. Everything was going exactly the way I planned it until Tony Fiori blew my cover. I knew the police would release Justine as soon as they realized that I was alive. I was desperate, so I had Roy Bishop set up that meeting with Mike Greene to try to convince him that Justine was guilty. It didn t work. No, it didn t, but something did happen. I received instructions to come to a rest area off the interstate. A diary excerpt was enclosed. It was an account of the torture of one of the victims. Only the killer would have that journal. So I went to the rest area early to lay a trap, but I outsmarted myself. The killer was there ahead of me, and I was hit with a tranquilizer dart. Amanda held up her hand as though she were stopping traffic. Please. If you re going to tell me that Bobby Vasquez is the killer, I ll walk out right now. No, no. I didn t even know that he had followed me to the rest area until McCarthy questioned me after Justine s murder. So who is it now? The butler? Cardoni answered her sarcasm with a murderous glare. Then his anger faded and he looked defeated. Amanda folded her arms across her chest but stayed seated. The first time I woke up after being tranquilized I was in total darkness and disoriented. I m not even certain that this really happened. I thought I saw light and I think that someone gave me a shot, then I was out again. The next time I came to I was in Justine s kitchen. I remember Fiori shooting me. The next thing I remember, I was in the hospital. Amanda stood up. This has been a very interesting story, Dr. Cardoni. I suggest you try selling it to Hollywood. Perhaps you can start a writing career while you re on death row. I have proof. Have them test my blood. The hospital draws blood before an operation. Have the hospital run a screen for tranquilizers. I was still heavily sedated when Fiori shot me. You can have your attorney do that. My firm doesn t represent you anymore. Amanda pressed a button next to the door. I know who killed Justine, Cardoni shouted at her. It s your boyfriend, Tony Fiori. Amanda burst out laughing. If I were you, I d go with the butler. It s a hell of a lot more believable. He tried to kill me at the hospital, Cardoni cried out desperately. Then he shot me at Justine s house. I was on the floor when he came through the door. I was barely conscious. Why would he shoot someone who was no threat to him? I think he needed me dead to stop the investigation. I think he was afraid that the police would figure out that I m innocent if they kept looking into these murders. Amanda turned to face Cardoni. The fear she d felt was long gone, replaced by a cold hatred. He shot you because you tried to kill him, Dr. Cardoni. I saw your gun. I never fired a shot. I swear. Amanda banged on the door and the guard opened it immediately. She turned back to face Cardoni. I was with Tony when Justine called from her house and asked me to come over. She was alive then, but she was dead when Tony and I arrived. You were the only other person at the house. You tried to kill Tony and you murdered Justine. Miss Jaffe, please, Cardoni pleaded. But Amanda was already out the door.